Wheat heater or temperer



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. N. SOHINDLER.

WHEAT HEATER 0R TBMPBRER.

Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

N mus Plmto-Lilhognphcr, wasmn mn. 0,0.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. N. SGHINDLER.

v WHEAT HEATER 0R TEMPERER. No. 394,618. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

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I Z WILMHT/YLSCZmO/ N. PETERS. Pholo'Lithcgraphcr, Washinglnn, 0.1:

7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVIIIIIIAM N. SCHINDLER, OF MISIL UYAKA, INDIANA.

WHEAT HEATER OR TEMPERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,618, dated December1 8, 1888.

Application filed April 2, 1888. Serial No. 269,358. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. SQHINDLER, of Mishawaka, in the county ofSt. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in \Vheat Heaters or Temperers; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and accurate description of the same.

The modern practice of milling wheat seeks to crush the berry andseparate the starch portion into its natural. granules without breakingthem down into impalpable powder and to flatten out the outer coats intoflakes without tearing them. into fine shreds as was done between theburr-stones. This process requires for its success that the interiorstarchy portion shall be dry and easily crumbled, and that the outercoat or bran shall be moist and tough, and it is evident that uniformityof product requires uniformity of conditions of the wheat at the timewhen it enters between the rolls. It has been observed that subjectingthe wheat to heat makes the interior starchy part more friable and theouter integum ent more tough. 'hether this effect is due to increaseddryness of the starch and increased moisture of the bran, as is thoughtby many millers, or whether it is due to the general effect of heat tosoften the cellwalls and the glutinous matter in the outer coatings isimmaterial.

Many devices have been made to heat wheat for the purpose above stated,and they may, for convenience, be separated into two classes.

. First, those which employ steam or other hot gases which transmit theheat through the plates or walls to the wheat which passes in product-sof combustion from a smokeless flame into and among the mass of grain asit descends through a perforated conduit. My improvement belongs to thelatter class.

vided with radial perforated pipes placed in horizontal series one aboveanother, and that the grain is required to pass down, finding its wayamong said pipes, passing over their outsides, while the hot products ofcombustion from the flame of a lamp or gas-jet are required to pass intosaid pipes and escape through the perforations into the mass of grainwheat-heating conduits.

the heat, the wheat is caused to tiow in a very I am aware that agrain-drier has been promoving over them; but this differs from myinvention, because the radial arrangement of the pipes causes a greatobstruction to the flow of the grain with liability to clog if the grainis damp, and if dry a great amount of dust is detached.

I am also aware that a grain-drier has been constructed with concentricvertical pipes of perforated metal, the inner pipe being connected with.the outer pipe by a transverse tubular brace at a distance from thelower end, through which the hot air gains admission to the inner pipe.The grain is required to pass downward through the narrow annular spacebetween said pipes, while the hot products of combustion from asmokeless stove are required to pass through said perforations andescape by passing through the moving stream of grain. That differs frommy invention because the transverse pipe so high up is an obstruction inthe grain-cont'luit, and because the hot products are required only topass through the grain a very short distance to wit, far enough to passaround the edge of a diaphragm placed in the inclosiug-case.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, with thecasing partly broken away, of one form of wheat-heaterembodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspec tive view illustrating another form ofwheatconduit for my heater. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing ameans for grouping several Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of awheat-heating conduit for my heat er provided with a spiral diaphragmand a controlling-sleeve. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of awheat-healer embodying my invention. Fig. 0 is a side view of the same.Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively horizontal and vertical sections throughthe ducts p of Fig. 2.

To insure the exposure of every kernel to thin stream, confined on bothsides, so that whether moving at. one speed or another the stream shallbe uniform in thickness. 'lo

economize space, this thin stream has been wrapped around a tubei. 6.,caused to pass down the annular space between concentric tubes differingin diameter; but this is not a necessity.

A is a tube of perforated sheet metal, and

may be rectangular or curved in cross-section. If curved, one side ofsaid tube is constituted by A and the opposite side by a smaller curvedplate or tube, 12. If rectangular, the two sides are of equaldimensions. The distance between the opposite walls in the shorterdimension is half an inch or thereabout. The width of the tube in thelarger dimension may be as desired. This narrow grainconduit is open atthe top to the bin or reservoir which is to contain the grain, and atbottom it discharges into a conduit which may conduct it directly intothe mil1ing-machine. Several of these conduits may be assembled in oneinclosing-case, which may be also of metal not perforated, and saidinclosing-case is provided at its bottom with one or more lamps, I-I,producing smokeless flames,whereby the air within said case is heatedand the hot products of combustion caused to pass up around and into thegrain conduits, and finally escape through said conduits at the top. A

Dampers D, hinged to the sides of the case 0, may be moved to anydesired angle as to the conduit A, to deflect the hot air toward oneside of the inclosure or the other, as may be desired. It will beevident that when several of said conduits are assembled in oneinclosing-ease they may, if desired, take wheat from several separatebins, or may deliver to separate milling-machines, and that, if desired,a portion of said conduits may be used and others unused. It will alsobe evident that by regulating said lamps or by using a greater or lessnumber the quantity of heat may be varied to suit the quantity orcondition of the grain. This is a matter for the judgment and discretionof the miller.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the conduits in the form of flat rectangulartubes, several of said tubes being placed parallel with each other inthe inclosing-case O, and the dampers cut with projecting fingers toclose in between said tubes, when desired.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the conduits between concentric tubes ofperforated metal. The innermost of said tubes is connected at its bottomwith the hot-air space or chamber within said case 0 by means of a thinflat pipe, 1), placed transversely across the space which separates saidinner and outer tubes, by means of which the hot air has free access tothe interior of the inner pipe, whence it passes through theperforations into the stream of grain passing down between theconcentric pipes. The outermost of said tubes discharges freely downwardthrough the bottom of said case 0.

pipe being closed at bottom by an inclined plate, e.

In Fig. at the annulus-conduit is shown with a spiral diaphragm, g,whereby the wheat is compelled to pass spirally around the inner tube,and its flow thereby be regulated and the exposure to the heat be moreuniform. These are modifications of the same plan to expose thedescending wheat to the hot air in a confined chamber, the only escapefor the hot products of combustion being upward through the descendingstream and out through opening by which said wheat enters.

It may sometimes be desirable to prolong the passage of the hot productsthrough the wheat-conduit at the top; and I therefore sometimes make thetop portion of the pipe A imperforate, and place around that portion amovable sleeve, i, which may be slipped down to cover a portion of theperforations, and thereby in effect cause the imperforate portion to bevariable as to length. I v

I find it desirable to regulate the'draft to the lamp-flame, and therebyregulate the heat evolved to a certain degree without changing thewicks; and I therefore provide a registering damper, k, in the wall ofthe case C. The utility of this register is found when from any causethe wheat moves into the upper end of the tube more. compactly thanusual, and therefore reduces the draft through it. This may be the casewhen the wheat is damp. By opening said damper part of the air whichpasses the flame is allowed to escape by that way, and the heat may beincreased in that way because of the increased draft of air.

I-Iaving described my invention, I claim- 1. In a wheat heater ortemperer, the thinwalled grain-conduits A of, perforated metal arrangedwithin an inclosing-case, C, singly or in group, as set forth, and thesmokeless h eater lamps or stoves at the bottom, combined with thehinged dampers D, adapted to close between said conduits, as set forth.

2. In a grain heater or temperer, the grainconduits A, open at the top,the inclosing-case 0, closed at the top, and the smokeless'lamps orstoves H, combined with the register outlet or damper k in saidinclosing-case, whereby the quantity of air passing through said lamp orstove and through the grain may be regulated, as set forth.

3. In a wheat-heater, the combinatiomwith the inclosing-case andair-chamber G, the

heating-lamp, and the perforated pipes A b, one within the other, theformer being open and the latter closed atthe top, of the duct- 1),leading from said chamber through the pipe A and the grain-space to givea free passage of air from said chamber .to the inner pipe,-Z),substantially as set forth.

NVM. N. SCl-IINDLER.

lVitnesses:

J. W. KUHN,

D. L. PJCLEM. 7

